Vending apparatus



,(No Mode1.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. S-OHOFIELD. VENDING APPARATUS.

No. 396,296. Patented Jan. 15, 18-89.

N. PETERS, Phnlb-Llmngrlphur. Washington, D. C.

(No Model.) A 2 SheetsSheet 2.

- J. SGHOPIELD.

VENDING APPARATUS.

No. 396,296. Patented Jan. '15, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT Crimea.

JOHN SCHOFIELD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,296, dated January 15, 1889.

' Application filed April 30, 1888. Serial No. 272,313. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SCHOFIELD, a citi zen of the United States of America, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In an application filed by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 27 2,31-1, I have shown and described an automatic vending apparatus of that class which automatically presents within reach of the purchaser the article being Vended upon the dropping into the apparatus of a coin representing the determined value of the article being vended by the ma chine. The said apparatus is designed for the sale of cigars or articles of like nature, or such articles as may be inclosed in packages, or which may be adapted to be fed down a suitable reservoir toan automat-ically-delivering carrier.

In the present invention I have designed another form of apparatus adapted particularly to the sale of postage stamps or cards, or any articles which may be placed in receiving-pockets.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact form of apparatus in which a flexible carrier may be used having a series of pockets adapted to receive the articles to be sold, and which may be wound upon a reel or drum and rewound upon a second reel or drum, the carrier passing to an opening in the case in its passage between the two drums, so that the contents of its pockets may be disclosed to the purchaser and removed by him or them in the transmission of the said flexible carrier from one reel to the other.

It will be understood that while I have shown the apparatus as adapted to the sale of postage-stamps other flexible articles may be sold without material change in the form of flexible carrier or pockets, the only essen tial thing being that the carrier be wide enough so that the pockets will receive the articles which it is desired to vend,

The invention consists in the devices and combination of devices hereinafter fully described, and particularly referred to in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 'l is a front elevation of the machine, partly in section, with the front wall removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the operating parts of one side, partly in section, with the side wall removed. Fig. is a perspective view of the outercase, which contains the operating parts. Fig. 4- is a detail view of the delivery device.

In the drawings, A represents the outer case or receptacle, which may be of any suitable material, described in my application referred to. In the present apparatus Ihave illustrated two distinct sets of operating mechanisms, one being represented upon the right of the machine for the sale of two-cent stamps, or for the sale of articles requiring the dropping in of two coins, while upon the left of the machine the mechanismis shown as adapted for the sale of articles requiring only one coin.

It will be understood that one set of mechanism may be omitted and inclosed within a separate case, though under some circumstances, as in the present case, it will be found desirable to inclose within one case devices for the sale of two or more articles, and it will be understood of course that the apparatus may be duplicated to any desired extent.

I will now proceed to describe the mechanism for vending the articles by the dropping in of a single coin. In this case an opening, a, is made in the front wall of the case, at which opening the article to be sold is presented automatically upon the dropping in of the coin through a slot, Z), over which a suitable inscription may be placed indicating the amount of money to be dropped in and the article which maybe purchased by the action of said coin. are postage-stamps, and these are supported or carried by a flexible carrier, B,which I have represented in the present case in' the form of a flexible strip having a series of pockets extending across its width, and these pockets may be of any width or depth, according to The articles I have represented the articles tobe sold. They are represented at b. I provide a reel, C, which is adapted to receive the carrier, which is wound thereon, with all its pockets filled with the articles to be sold. This reel maybe made very cheaply of a central spool. and light flanges, and may be made of any size, so as to receive a flexible carrier-strip of great length. The carrier may be made of any light material, so that its folds occupy but very little room on the reel. The reel is made ren'iovable, so that it is easily taken out when the carrier is unwound therefrom and a new carrying-stri p wound upon it, or the old carrier refilled and rewound. The carrier B is also provided with a series of studs or stops, 0, arranged in front of each pocket, as shown. A suitable supportin and guiding roller, (Z, mounted in suitable bearings in the frame, receives the carrier and forms a bearing therefor as it passes from the reel 0. From the roller (Z the carrier passes to a supporting and guiding roller or bearing, 6, arranged directly in line with the opening a in the front wall of the case. From the roller 6 the carrier passes to the receivingreel D, mounted upon a'shai't, f, which shaft is made to rotate by means of a cord, g, which extends up and over a pulley, 71 the shaft of said pulley being connected with a weight, '2', through a second cord, 7.". The shaft f of the reel D terminates in a winding-arbor. The winding of the reel. D through the cord 9, pulley 7L, and cord 7.1 winds the weight 1'. The tendency of the weight is to revolve the reel D and to wind thereon the carrier B.

It will be understood that instead of the weight for revolving the reel D a spring may be substituted therefor, or the cord 9 may be passed over a pulley and be directly connected with the weight; but I prefer the form described, as less winding is required. It will be understood, therefore, that as the constant tendency of the weight is to revolve the reel D and to draw upon the carrier B it is necessary to provide a lockin or holding d evice for preventing the constant movement of the carrier and to permit of its movement only when a coin is deposited. The means shown consists of the controlling-lever E, pivoted at l, which has a hooked end, 2, directly in the path of the studs eon the carrier, shown in Fig. 2. This lever is held downward, so as to be in engagement with the studs,-by means of the spring The lever extends to the rear, and is provided with athree-sided box, 4:, having an inclined bottom, as shown in Fig. 1 at 5. The box 4: is directly beneath the lower open end of the coin-slide F, and as the coin is inserted in the slot- 1) it passes down into the box 4, which has the effect of elevating the hooked end of the lever, thus releasing the carrier and allowing it to move forward until the hook engages with the next stop, which is immediately in advance of the next pocket, this movement allowing a full pocket to be presented at the opening a. The weight of the coin operates the lever IE only for an instant, and then the inclined bottom of the box 4, which forms a part of the lever, deflects the coin through an opening, 10, in the partition-wall 7, where it drops into a chamber, which has a cash-box at the bottom, as shown at m.

\Vhile I have shown in the present case an intermediate chamber, a, between the two sets of devices, it will be understood that if I use one alone the whole apparatus may be inclosed within a single chamber and the coin may be directed by means of a chute to the cash-box. The coin-slide'may be adjustable for di lt'erent-sized coins, as described in my application, Serial No. 279, 31+. It is shown as composed of grooved ways 0, the width of the grooves being equal to the width of the coin which has been determined upon to operate the lever E. If a small coin be used, it will, drop through the open bottom of the coinslide into a passage formed between the ways 0 and the inclined plate 1), and an opening extends :from this passage, as shown at q, through the partition into the chamber n, so that the said coin is deflected into the cash-box without operating the lever E. A block, 0', at the bottom of the passage has an inclined bottom for directing the coin through the opening in the partition, so as to prevent any obstruction.

lVhile the guide-rollers (Z and 6 may be arranged parallel to each other and above and below the opening (t in the case, I find it desirable, in the sale of flexible articles, to arrange one of the guiding-rollers directly in line with the said opening, as shown in Figs.

2 and 4, so that as the carrier passes over the convex surface of the reel the tendency is, as shown in the said figures, to throw the article contained within the pocketoutward from the surface of the belt, so that it may be easily removed. A light spring, 5, bears againstthe reel and thus puts the proper amount of tension upon the said reel as it is unwound under the action of the weight.

' 3eneath the box at of the lever E, l place an inclined deflector, 7, which also directs the coin, it dropped upon it, through the opening 10 to the cash-box.

The same construction lun'einbefore described is duplicated upon the right of the figures, with the following exceptions: The form of apparatus just described is adapted :i'or the sale of an article by the dropping in different, and instead of being provided with a single stop or set of stops in advance of every pocket the carrier B is provided with stops, one slightly in advance of the other, before each pocket. lVhile I have shown two stops in line with each other at c and a single stop (1 a short distance above the stop 0, it will be understood that two stops d may be used in line with each other, or a single stop (1' with the stop 0. The shaft of the receiving-spool for this set of devices is shown in dotted lines on the right of the shaft f in Fig. 2.

Suppose, as in the present case, a two-cent stamp is to be sold and a single penny is dropped into the slot to operate the controlling-lever e, which we will suppose is in engagement with the stops (1. This penny will have the effect of releasing the carrier for an instant; but before the band has passed to present the stamp to the opening a the spring of the lever has thrown the hooked end again into the line of the stops, and the carrier is instantly checked by the end of the lever coming in contact with the stops d, and no movement of the carrier is effected until the second penny has been deposited in the slot, when a second action of the lever will be effected and the carrier will move from the stop (1 to the stop 0', and thus allow one of the full pockets to be presented at the opening a. It will be understood that a similar arrangement may be made for three cents, or for a larger sum.

In practice each user of the apparatus may be provided with. a double set of reels, so that while one set is being used in the apparatus the other set maybe refilled with the articles and made ready for placing in the machine.

I claim as my invention 1. In an automatic vending apparatus, a suitable casing provided with an opening for the delivery of the articles, a flexible carrier having pockets for holding the articles, supporting-reels for said carrier, a weight, a lockingdever, a coin-slide, and a bearing for the flexible carrier at the delivery-opening and approximately in line with the wall of the casing, whereby the carrier with the articles is directed to the opening and such articles rendered accessible to the hand of the purchaser, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a suitable casing with a delivery-opening, the flexible carrier having pockets for holding the articles, the reels 0 D, having the ends of the carrier thereon and adapted to wind and unwind the carrier, the weight, and the locking-lever, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic ven din g-m achi ne, a flexible carrier supported therefor, aweight, said carrier having pockets to receive the articles to be sold, stops on said carrier, a loeking'lever adapted to check the movement of said carrier by engagement with said stops, and a coinslide arranged with its lower end above said lever, whereby the lever is operated by the droppingin of a coin to release the carrierand to allow it to move, substantially as detion with the reels for moving them, and a locking-lever, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic vending machine, aflexible carrier provided with pockets and having stopsor projections on. its surface, a spool or reel, 0, from which the carrier is unwound, a supporting-spool, (Z, a pivoted lever, E, having a hooked end in line with the studs on said carrier, a coin-slide in line with the end of said lever for operating the same to release the carrier, and a bearing approximately in line with the opening in the wall of the case, and a receiving spool or reel, (Z, with a weight, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic vemling-machine, a carrier provided with pockets, supports for the same, a weight, a locking-lever, E, having a hooked end engaging with projections on said carrier, at coin-slide, the said lever E having a box, 4, with an inclined bottom arranged beneath the coin-slide adapted to receive the coin and to deflect it to the cash-box, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic vending-machine, the vertical partition, a coin-slide arranged on one side thereof having an open bottom, with a passage formed between the same and an inclined plate, p, and the cash-box located on the opposite side of the partition, said partition having an opening for directing small coins to the cash-box, substantially as described.

8. In a vending-n1achine, a coin-slide having an open bottom with a passage beneath the same and an inclined plate, p, for directing the smaller coins into the cash-box, substantially as described.

9. In an automatic vending-machine, a flexible carrier having pockets, a number of studs, (1' 0, arranged on the carrier between the pockets, a lockinglevm, E, and a coin-slide in line with said lever, substantially as de scribed.

10. An apparatus comprising a suitable inclosing-case, the two partitions formiu g an intermediate chamber, or, the cash-box in communication with the said chamber, the flexible carriers B B, their reels, locking-levers, and coin-slides upon the outer sides of said partitions, said partitions being provided with openings to the chamber a, and the deflectors to direct the coin from both sides to the chamber 22, substantially as described.

11. In combination, the flexible carrier hav- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SCHOFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

1 L. MIDDLETON, UHAs. L. STURTEVANT. 

